SIR KEIR STARMER vowed to rejuvenate Britain’s high streets by “levelling the playing field” with online retail giants, describing it as “absolutely crucial part” of the party’s growth mission at Usdaw’s annual conference today.

“I don’t think I’ve been anywhere that doesn’t value and want a vibrant high street,” said the Labour leader.

“When you ask someone how they feel their community is doing economically, nine times out of ten, they will tell you about their high street.

“You can’t reduce their value merely to profit or the products they sell. 

“We have to turn around the decline of Britain’s high streets.

“Let’s keep our tax rates competitive, reform and replace business rates, level the playing field with the online tech giants and the high street business in your town.”

Sir Keir slammed “epidemic levels” of shoplifting and persistent antisocial behaviour as he vowed to scrap the Tories’ so-called shoplifter’s charter, which introduced in 2014 a “low value” shoplifting category for items worth under £200.

“Nobody in Britain should be in any doubt about the scale of the crime wave on our high streets at the moment,” he said.

“The epidemic levels of shoplifting and the persistent plague of anti-social behaviour.”

Sir Keir also promised that there will no watering down of the party’s New Deal for Working People and raised fears that the Tories could raise the pension age to 72 to fund its £46 billion Budget spending spree earlier this year.

He vowed to be a “good friend through thick and thin” to Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis, who told the Morning Star: “Starmer is absolutely right to describe Tory policies as a shoplifters’ charter.

“Over the years they have effectively decriminalised theft from shops with a £200 threshold for prosecutions and severe cuts in uniformed police patrols, particularly around town centres.

“High streets desperately need rejuvenating and we’re pleased that Labour will put that at the heart of their growth mission.”

He said that Labour is committed to level up business taxation “to give high street retailers a fair chance against their online competitors,” saying: “Retail jobs are real jobs.

“Labour’s new deal for working people seeks to end low-paid and insecure employment and will deliver much-needed reform of workplace rights to help ensure that workers are valued and respected.”